Arifa Junaid Anjum goes viral, followed by a wave of fake accounts 

KARACHI: Arifa Junaid Anjum, a Karachi-based fashion model, has taken the internet by storm after her repeated appearances on the TV screens during the final match of the tri-nation series between Pakistan and New Zealand.

New Zealand beat Pakistan in the final by five wickets and clinched the tri-nation title.

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A post shared by Arifa Junaid (@arifa.junaid.anjum)

However, the post-match discussions on social media kept revolving around Arifa Junaid Anjum, instead of Pakistan’s terrible defeat.

She enjoyed limelight throughout the match as cameras frequently focused on her, making her the centre of attention for Pakistani fans.

Some users questioned whether the cameraman intentionally kept highlighting Arifa, while others raised concerns about the ethics of sharing images of female spectators without consent.

IPL to begin on March 22 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens

After the match, netizens took it to social media to post about her charm and beauty, turning her into an overnight sensation.

While many users praised her, others criticised the trend of prioritising viral figures over actual sports achievements. 

Moreover, many fake accounts claiming to be Arifa Junaid Anjum also emerged on Facebook and Instagram overnight.

The scammers attempted to take advantage of the trend, and made imposters accounts so that all the online queries related to Arifa Junaid Anjum could land on their pages.

Some of the fake accounts have also shared her clips of viral moments.

In the final match, Seamer Will O’Rourke (4-43) led New Zealand’s tidy bowling as they bundled out the hosts for 242 with three deliveries still left in their innings.

Daryl Mitchell (57) and Tom Latham (56) struck fifties as New Zealand romped home with 28 balls to spare, finishing unbeaten in the tournament that also involved South Africa.

Electing to bat, Pakistan kept losing wickets every time a partnership promised to bloom.

Skipper Mohammad Rizwan (46) and Salman Agha (45) forged an 88-run partnership for the fourth wicket but boundaries were not easy to come by.

Tayyab Tahir (38) and Faheem Ashraf (22) contributed useful runs down the order but Pakistan lost their last five wickets for 47 runs to settle for a below-par total.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner conceded 20 runs in his 10 tidy overs, claiming two wickets.

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah removed opener Will Young in the second over but New Zealand’s frontline batters, aided by Pakistan’s sloppy catching and woeful use of the review option, produced useful cameos to keep their chase on track.

Pakistan dragged themselves back into the contest after removing Devon Conway (48) and Kane Williamson (34) but could not drive home their advantage.

They wasted a review in their desperation to get Williamson lbw and did not use the option when Latham was given not out despite being trapped plumb in front.

Latham got two more reprieves as Shaheen Afridi spilled a return catch while Saud Shakeel floored a sitter at square leg.

Abrar Ahmed held on to a return catch to remove Mitchell but Latham punished Pakistan for their sloppiness and went on to complete his fifty.

Latham’s luck finally ran out when Abrar took a catch in the deep – spraining his neck in the process — but it came too late for the hosts as New Zealand were on the cusp of victory.